Now wait a minute...are they called hubcaps or hubcaps? Is there a difference between the two? And while we're at it, why did they start using hubcaps to begin with?
These and similar questions have puzzled the great minds of the world for many years. So, to get to the bottom of these questions, it's best to look at the long, winding, and truly interesting history of the automotive hub cap.
Car enthusiasts have had a love affair with hubcaps for decades. Some say the Art Deco design of New York's iconic Chrysler Building is an homage to the hubcap. But, how did hubcaps appear in the first place? Well, originally there was a functional necessity of the cap. See In the beginning, cars were made of wooden spokes like a cart or a wheel.
The wooden spokes connected the outer steel rim to the central axle containing the wheel bearing. The wheel bearing has been filled with grease. It needed something to cover the center hub that could keep dust and grease inside. What was needed was a "hub" "hub".
Some people today actually spell hubcap rather than the technically correct spelling of hubcap. Therefore the hub cap (which would also have been called the dust cap) came into existence strictly for functional reasons, but it was a small center cap designed to cover the center hub leaving the spokes in exposed wood.
Unfortunately, wooden wheels didn't last long for this world. Although they were lacquered and sometimes scratched when new, they would soon start to age, crack and look very shabby. In the distance you can still hear a car with old wooden wheels slamming down the road.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, steel wire wheels began to replace wooden rail wheels. These also require the center cap on the axle, which still leaves the welded steel wire core exposed. In the 1930s, functionality gave way to elegance and decoration. The headdresses have become
Larger and stamped with the name of the engine manufacturer in brass or stainless steel
steel and were used as a decorative design element, but still only covered the axle. The spoked wheels were a problem as they were difficult to clean and produced an annoying wind noise as cars rolled down the street.
In 1934 Cadillac fitted their new model with a stainless steel disc which was held in place by a threaded center hub cap which fitted into the top of the disc. The disc actually covered most of the wheel and completely covered the threads. This new design feature gave the wheel a luxurious and sleek look.
So where does the term "wheel covers" come from? In 1938, Cadillac began using stamped steel wheels similar to those used today. They covered the wheels with fancy full-size hubcaps...or "wheel covers". Thus, the term wheel cover was born, but for some reason the term hubcap never achieved its highest position as the most widely used term for that thing that covers a car wheel.
The important thing is that Cadillac has made the full-size hubcap a symbol of luxury and luxury. Hot rod manufacturers soon began seeking vintage Cadillac hubcaps for their 1930s-1950s custom bars. Perhaps Cadillac's most classic hubcap was the heavy, brightly chromed 1950 hubcap, nicknamed the "sombrero" because of its shape resembling a sombrero hat.
Cadillac owners quickly realized that their hubcaps were in high demand.
They usually find out when they go for a ride in their car and find they're out of hubcaps…ouch; Another victim of the "cover centers" (bridge robbery) that was the sad state of affairs in the 1940s and 50s.
You may have heard of the term Mooncap hub cap (or racing disc) which became popular in the 1950s. Interestingly, the first aluminum moon wheel cover was not invented in the 1950s. Bob Roffey, the fastest man alive in the 1940s, used spun aluminum hubcaps from a WWI Genie plane to help streamline the record-breaking 140mph machine at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Early drag racers outfitted their cars and drove them to races on weekends. Drag Race quickly becameu as American as an apple pie. As the cars went faster, safety issues arose. Hubcaps had a bad habit of flying off
And give unprepared viewers a new part of their hair. New rules were put in place that required drag racers to remove their hubcaps before racing, both for safety reasons and also for proper wheel inspection. Racers are just starting to leave their axle caps off after dragging and getting around town that way. Soon, seeing a car without hubcaps became synonymous with "racing drag".
Drag racers began painting their wheels and adorning them with chrome lug nuts and chrome dust caps (center covers). Some believe this led to
Chrome rims followed by "mag" (magnesium) and aluminum rims which became very popular in the 1960s.
Finally, in the automotive industry in the 70s
The Turers began fitting their new cars with ABS plastic hoods. These hubcaps look like chrome or brushed aluminum hubcaps. By the 1980s, ABS plastic wheel covers had replaced the use of steel wheel covers by car manufacturers. Although plastic may seem cheap or brittle, the truth is that ABS plastic is tough, durable and above all, lightweight.
The lighter the hubcap, the less likely it is to fly off. Now, you should know that some of the plastic hubcaps made by car manufacturers aren't great at all; They fly very easily. It is not enough to be strong, resistant and light. The hubcap needs a good rigid retention system. The best is the 360° steel retaining ring which can really grip the steel wheel and help the hub cap stay on the wheel.
Now that you are an expert in the world history of the axle plug, you can impress all your friends at the next party with your incredible knowledge of the arcane plug. Well, maybe they're not impressed...maybe they're not bored to death. We hope you enjoyed the preview and learned something along the way.
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